All the subjects are the creatures of the Suprem
and whatever they possess, they derive from
more they receive, the greater debtors they
bounty; and when they improve their trust
most extent of their capacity, they have u
plead; their fidelity can amount to nothing
innocence; while the least failure renders
nal and liable to punishment.

So that, in the very nature of things, wha
bestows upon the most perfect of his creatu
the effect of pure grace and favour. And if
to the innocent, who bave never left the st
he placed them; surely what is bestowei
ty must flow from the purest grace, tl
scending exercise of sovereign mercy.

And this is the light in which my te
view the record of God with regard to
the whole contents of the gospel-c
prehended in this short but emphat

God hath given us eternal life:
Son.

It consists, you see, of two p
1. God hath given to us ete
2. This life is in his Son.

I. The first part of the
Lord of all, in the endear
benefactor and tender.be
ty creatures with an
posing for their relief
themselves.

I need not deta
ho fatal effects of
nind you o

i pnter

F

d to, much vain jangrevented, and a ready mingly intricate quesakened minds are oft.

ctates of sound reason, e to the pure favour of is that it can only live

hath appointed. Eve'uliar aliment; so pecucies, is not only useless, er: a plain, convincing ad absolute dependance wybose workmanship they ose materials upon which so enormous, can afford no ely diminutive body of man? it this, The Creator hath not or that end. Every attempt to han God hath appointed, is an

independent of God, but in defi'n tried the experiment, and there. del: for it was not the quality of the

the prohibition of the Creator, that es with the fatal sting. nobler, and Spiritual life, be less inti

is clearly decided by the apostle Paul, when he says, 6 The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eter. nal life;" where wages and gift are placed in direct opposition to one another; the first being an exercise of jus. tice, the last an act of free and unmerited favour. And in this light the salvation of sinners is uniformly represented in the sacred writings. “ It is your Father's good pleasure," said Christ to his disciples, “to give you the kingdom. By grace are ye saved through faith,” said St. Paul; “ and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” And again, “ Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Accordingly, eternal life is styled an inheritance; which is inseparably connected with the relation of children: and as by the apostacy we became enemies to God, it is not easy to conceive bow enemies can be made children in any other way than by an act of the purest and most sovereign grace.

Were God in any respect weak or indigent, could he be impoverished by the revolt of his subjects, or hurt by the violent efforts of their enmity; it might be wisdom to court their return by the offer of a reward, and even to eonnect the reward with such gentle conditions as the proudest heart might easily digest: but this, you must be sensible, is not the case we are considering. God stands in no need of us, or of our services. It requires no exertion of strength to crush his rebellious subjects : if he withdraw for one moment the support of his power, they perish; for “ in him they all live and move:” that if punishment be deferred, and, still more, if bene. fits be conferred, no cause can be assigned for either but his own sovereigu pleasure, the self-removing goodness of his nature.

SO

Were these plain truths attended to, much vain jangling and strife of words might be prevented, and a ready solution found of many of those seemingly intricate questions, with which serious and awakened minds are ofttimes perplexed and discouraged.

It is one of the most obvious dictates of sound reason, that the creature owes its existence to the pure favour of the Creator. It is equally obvious that it can only live by those means which the Creator hath appointed. Eve. ry species of animals bath its peculiar aliment; so peculiar, that what is food to one species, is not only useless, but frequently noxious to another: a plain, convincing evidence of their immediate and absolute dependance upon the will of that Being whose workmanship they all are. Whence is it, that those materials upon which the elephant grows to a bulk so enormous, can afford no sustenance to the comparatively diminutive body of man? No answer can be given but this, The Creator bath not chosen and blessed them for that end. Every attempt to live by any other means than God hath appointed, is an attempt to live not only independent of God, but in defiance of his will. Adam tried the experiment, and thereupon became mortal: for it was not the quality of the forbidden tree, but the prohibition of the Creator, that armed his trespass with the fatal sting.

And can the nobler, and Spiritual life, be less intimately connected with its Author than the animal one? If that be lost by wilful transgression, doth it require less power or less grace to restore it? Or can the revolt- . ed creature plead any right to the institution of a benefit which was freely bestowed at first, and, even before it was forfeited, owed its continuance to the good pleasure of the giver? The absurdity is so glaring, that every one must perceive it as soon as it is mentioned. The bless

а

ing of eternal life is, and can be, no other than the record hath declared it to be the free and sovereign gift of God.

An hard saying this to the vain sons of Adam, who would always find something in themselves to boast of! but absolutely necessary to bring them back to that cheerful dependance upon, and willing subjection to the Father of their spirits; which is the only healthful and orderly state of creatures; the happiness whereof they forfeited by aspiring to become gods. This appears to be the aim of all God's dispensations to the children of men; and is expressly declared to be the ultimate end of the gospel-constitution, (1 Cor. i. 30.) “Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption : that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

These few remarks may serve to throw light upon the first part of the record, God hath given to us eter. nal life.

2dly. The second branch of it doth further inform us, that this life is in his Son.

Though God acted as a Sovereign, in conferring so great a gist upon any of the dead posterity of Adam, and could not be influenced to this act of grace by any other motive than what he found in his own essential goodness; yet it became his wisdom to exercise mercy in such a manner, as should be expressive of bis real character, and give a full and true representation of his other perfections to all his intelligent creatures.

Holiness belongs to God as well as goodness; and the sceptre of his kingdom is “ a sceptre of righteousness ;" and therefore Wisdom required, that while his mercy triumphed in the salvation of sinners, his holiness should